


Solace

by misbehavingvigilante



Series: Tales Inspired by the Discord Year 1 [8]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, Hugs, M/M, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 16:23:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18781855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misbehavingvigilante/pseuds/misbehavingvigilante
Summary: In which, Steve hugs Tony and it sets off a chain reaction.





	Solace

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theafternoonbreak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theafternoonbreak/gifts).



> We stan unrepentant fluff in this house. 
> 
> Anyways, this is a gift fic because someone on the server wasn't having the greatest day either and me writing out my feelings was like, I can fix that. 
> 
> So please enjoy!

Tony isn’t sure why he does it the first time it happens, maybe because Steve had been there? It had been chance more than anything but he’d been a rather affectionate person even if he’d been forced to squash down those feelings when he was younger.

Sure, it was fine, when he was small, that he could hug his mother’s legs or request hug after hug, but after a while, he wasn’t supposed to want contact. He couldn’t be touchy feely as his father had told him, it made him look weak.

Tony wondered what his father would think of it now when there was actual science behind the benefits of hugs, but he didn’t want to deal with that right now. His overly complicated feelings with his father should have made him feel somewhat ambivalent about seeking comfort from Steve given the role his father had played in changing him skinny, scrawny but spunky Steve Rogers into Captain America.

“Tony?” Steve had asked, seemingly aware something was wrong with a still, silent Tony because he was smart like that.

Tony wordlessly just kept walking into he gently came into contact with Steve’s chest and just made a muffled groan of frustration into it. Really weird, and really much more intimate than anything they’ve done thus far but surprisingly Steve didn’t stiffen, or tell him off.

The arms that wrapped around him were lighter than he expected, perhaps unsure of how much force to use given Steve’s strength was a lot more than most people. Tony make a note to compare Thor and Steve’s strength later on, maybe they could have an arm wrestling contest between two beefy blonds and see who came out on top. Tony snickered internally at that, that sounded dirty, even if it really had just been scientific curiosity.

But the contact was nice, and Tony sunken into it drawing comfort from the action as long as Steve would let him. Steve had held him for considerably longer than Tony thought he would, the man had the patience of a saint, or must have been internally freaking out and just waiting for this to end.

Eventually, Tony’s feet got tired because he wasn’t a super solider and he had already had a trying day so Tony wormed out of the grip. Surprised when the arms didn’t immediately unlatch from his back as if happy to be finally free of him.

“Huh, did you need a hug too?” Tony asked because maybe Steve had. Hugs were warm after all, and Steve had spent several decades in the ice. Unconscious and unaware of the passage of time as far as Tony knew and hoped.

“I… yes?” Steve phrased it like a question, as if uncertain of his own needs. “Sorry.”

“I was the one who came onto you.”

Steve blushed. It took a moment for the gears in his head to fully comprehend how what he just said could have been taken on one hand, it could have been a flirtation, and on other, other hand it had rather lewd connotations.

Given how scarlet Steve had turned, Tony was betting he imagined the latter.

“Not like that, Jesus. Some paragon of virtue you are, your mind goes straight to the gutter.”

“Fondue.” Steve said as if that meant anything to Tony, but Steve only hastened the grip on his waist, so Tony moved his arms to wrap them around Steve instead. Making a soothing gesture to Steve’s back like his mother used to do him when he’d been younger.

“There, there.” Tony soothed, though he had no idea what he was attempting to solace Steve over. He wished that they could have moved the couch instead of still standing, but Steve had comforted him so it only made sense to do so in return with complaint.

He wondered what was so traumatic about cheese, though. Apparently, he would have to never treat Steve to fondue which was unfortunate because fondue was really nice in Tony’s opinion but not worth causing Steve pain.

From then on, it became a thing between the two of them to sometimes wordlessly, just plop into other’s arms and await a hug in return.

It was one way to build camaraderie between teammates, though it wasn’t like either of them were doing this with any of the other avengers, unprompted. Thor liked hugs, and had on more than one occasion seen them hugging and decided to hug them both in his arms, his strength enough to take the both of them all of their feet without looking strained at all. It did however make it somewhat hard to breathe, though Tony allowed those hugs too.

Bruce had been hesitant, shy about the requests mostly coming to Tony, by just lingering on his peripheral vision until Tony finally got the hint and wrapped his arms around Bruce. Or cuddled him sometimes because cuddling was good too and it seemed to help both him and Bruce sleep so why not.

Clint, ever the child he was, commented relentlessly on their affections for one another dubbing them mom and dad. Tony hadn’t asked which was which but had just rolled with it when asking Clint if he had wanted a hug in return. Mostly, Clint went along with it.

Natasha, silent and swift as she was, sought out Steve more often than not. Those two had a sort of companionship that Tony hadn’t expected but was grateful for nonetheless. But one or twice, she had tapped Tony’s shoulder to get his attention, met his eyes, and expected him to hug her and he did without complaint.

Hugs went on that didn’t involve him or Steve, but they still hugged the most out of all the avengers.

It had become more unusual to find them separate than glued to each other sides. Not that Tony was complaining, he certainly wasn’t complaining, he felt happier than he had in weeks with all this affection feeding his touch starved heart.

“You know,” Tony said, snuggling Steve on the couch. “We should make an announcement about the benefits of hugs. Or maybe auction off hugs for charity or do something hug related publicity.”

“I still get to hug you, right?”

“I like how that’s your first concern.” Tony chuckled, fond however of how he was Steve’s first thought. “I didn’t stop hugging you when I started hugging all the other avengers so you don’t have to worry, you are my favorite, after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you wanna chat, I'm on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/thiefoftruth26).


End file.
